L'uso di biotecnologie per alimentare il contenuto di molecole bioattive in alimenti fermentati di origine vegetale

The objectives of this PhD research were: i) to evaluate the use of bread making process to increase the content of β-glucans, resistant starch, fructans, dietary fibers and phenolic compounds of kamut khorasan and wheat breads made with flours obtained from kernels at different maturation stage (at milky stage and fully ripe) and ii) to study the impact of whole grains consumption in the human gut. The fermentation and the stages of kernel development or maturation had a great impact on the amount of resistant starch, fructans and β-glucans as well as their interactions resulted highly statistically significant. The amount of fructans was high in kamut bread (2.1g/100g) at the fully ripe stage compared to wheat during industrial fermentation (baker’s yeast). The sourdough increases the content of polyphenols more than industrial fermentation especially in bread made by flour at milky stage. From the analysis of volatile compounds it resulted that the sensors of electronic nose perceived more aromatic compound in kamut products, as well as the SPME-GC-MS, thus we can assume that kamut is more aromatic than wheat, so using it in sourdough process can be a successful approach to improve the bread taste and flavor. The determination of whole grain biormakers such as alkylresorcinols and others using FIE-MS AND GC-tof-MS is a valuable alternative for further metabolic investigations. The decrease of N-acetyl-glucosamine and 3-methyl-hexanedioic acid in kamut faecal samples suggests that kamut can have a role in modulating mucus production/degradation or even gut inflammation. This work gives a new approach to the innovation strategies in bakery functional foods, that can help to choose the right or best combination between stages of kernel maturation-fermentation process and baking temperature

Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effect of in vitro digested cookies baked using different types of flours and fermentation methods

There is an increased amount of evidence showing that consumption of whole grains and whole-grain-based products is associated with a reduction of the risk of developing many diseases, due mainly to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of their components.In this study, cookies, baked using different types of flours and fermentation methods, were digested in vitro and supplemented to cultured liver cells. Three different flours (ancient KAMUT® khorasan wheat grown in North America, ancient khorasan wheat grown in Italy, and modern durum wheat) and two different types of fermentation (standard and lactic fermentation) were used. This experimental design allowed us to supplement cells with a real food part of the human diet, and to consider possible differences related to the food matrix (types of flour) and processing (methods of fermentation). Cells were supplemented with the bioaccessible fractions derived from cookies in vitro digestion. Although results herein reported highlight the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of all the supplementations, cookies made with khorasan flours appeared the most effective, particularly when the ancient grain was grown in North America under the KAMUT® brand. In light of the attempts to produce healthier food, this study underlines the importance of the type of grain to obtain baked products with an increased nutritional and functional value

In Vivo Effects of Einkorn Wheat (Triticum monococcum) Bread on the Intestinal Microbiota, Metabolome, and on the Glycemic and Insulinemic Response in the Pig Model

Einkorn wheat (Triticum monococcum) is characterized by high content of proteins, bioactive compounds, such as polyunsaturated fatty acids, fructans, tocols, carotenoids, alkylresorcinols, and phytosterols, and lower α-, β-amylase and lipoxygenase activities compared to polyploid wheat. These features make einkorn flour a good candidate to provide healthier foods. In the present study, we investigated the effects of einkorn bread (EB) on the intestinal physiology and metabolism of the pig model by characterizing the glycemic and insulinemic response, and the microbiota and metabolome profiles. Sixteen commercial hybrid pigs were enrolled in the study; four pigs were used to characterize postprandial glycemic and insulinemic responses and twelve pigs underwent a 30-day dietary intervention to assess microbiota and metabolome changes after EB or standard wheat bread (WB) consumption. The postprandial insulin rise after an EB meal was characterized by a lower absolute level, and, as also observed for glucose, by a biphasic shape in contrast to that in response to a WB meal. The consumption of EB led to enrichment in short-chain fatty acid producers (e.g., Blautia, Faecalibacterium, and Oscillospira) in the gut microbiota and to higher metabolic diversity with lower content of succinate, probably related to improved absorption and therefore promoting intestinal gluconeogenesis. The observed changes, at both a compositional and metabolic scale, strongly suggest that EB consumption may support a health-promoting configuration of the intestinal ecosystem

Metabolomic approach to study the impact of flour type and fermentation process on volatile profile of bakery products

Metabolomic approaches applied to fermented foods are at the state of the science and represent a robust and reliable approach to identify, quantify and characterise the biochemical profiles of raw materials and transformed products. The outcomes so far obtained are cornerstones to understand mainly nutritional and sensorial inherent features. Formulations of new bakery products with increased nutritional values is trending the market, but sensorial attributes still need to be improved to reach a wider audience. The present work describes the application of gas chromatography\u2013mass spectrometry (GC\u2013MS) and electronic nose analyses, to investigate over the volatilome of different bakery products, obtained from mature and immature grains (KAMUT\uae khorasan and durum wheat) and transformed by a sourdough made of Lactobacillus spp. and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. From the recipient results has emerged that the sensors used can distinguish the KAMUT\uae khorasan doughs fermented industrially at the fully ripe stage, the same doughs at the milky stage and KAMUT\uae khorasan sourdough at the fully ripe stage. Electronic nose allowed discriminating between different types of flours and GC\u2013MS indicated the volatilome of sourdough KAMUT\uae khorasan case as the most promising. Thus, the combination of different independent variables in the bread process to improve the sensorial quality of the product, when is backed by metabolomics, represents an effective approach to study, characterise and exploit the sensorial quality of breads

Shift of Aromatic Profile in Probiotic Hemp Drink Formulations: A Metabolomic Approach

Vegetal drinks as a substitute for milk consumption are raising striking interest in the food industry. Soy and rice drinks are the most successful milk substitutes but are low in protein and fiber contents, are rich in sugars, and their cultivation systems are unsustainable; thus, alternative vegetal sources to resolve these limits must be found. A winning candidate could be hemp seed, which is a powerhouse of nutrients, is sugarless, rich in fiber and proteins, and little land and nutrients demanding. The aim is to develop novel drinks obtained from hemp seeds mixed or not with soy and rice and fermented with probiotics (Lactobacillus fermentum, Lb. plantarum, and Bifidobacterium bifidum). The drinks were characterized for their microbial growth, by means of culture-dependent and -independent techniques, and for their volatilome, by means of solid-phase microextraction-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (SPME-GC-MS) analysis. The results showed that hemp seed drinks have a specific aroma and its compounds are dependent on the type of formulation and to the probiotic used. For example, in hemp seed drinks, 2-heptanol, 2-methyl, 2,4-decadienal, 2-butanone, 3-hydroxy, 2,3-butanedione, and propanoic acid were fine descriptors of probiotics fermentations. Multivariate analysis of volatile metabolites and their correlation to some physiological parameters and nutritional values offered a novel approach to assess the quality of functional hemp drinks which could result in a decisional tool for industrial applications

Integrated Evaluation of the Potential Health Benefits of Einkorn-Based Breads

Nowadays the high nutritional value of whole grains is recognized, and there is an increasing interest in the ancient varieties for producing wholegrain food products with enhanced nutritional characteristics. Among ancient crops, einkorn could represent a valid alternative. In this work, einkorn flours were analyzed for their content in carotenoids and in free and bound phenolic acids, and compared to wheat flours. The most promising flours were used to produce conventional and sourdough fermented breads. Breads were in vitro digested, and characterized before and after digestion. The four breads having the best characteristics were selected, and the product of their digestion was used to evaluate their anti-inflammatory effect using Caco-2 cells. Our results confirm the higher carotenoid levels in einkorn than in modern wheats, and the effectiveness of sourdough fermentation in maintaining these levels, despite the longer exposure to atmospheric oxygen. Moreover, in cultured cells einkorn bread evidenced an anti-inflammatory effect, although masked by the effect of digestive fluid. This study represents the first integrated evaluation of the potential health benefit of einkorn-based bakery products compared to wheat-based ones, and contributes to our knowledge of ancient grains

Integrated Evaluation of the Potential Health Benefits of Einkorn-Based Breads

Nowadays the high nutritional value of whole grains is recognized, and there is an increasing interest in the ancient varieties for producing wholegrain food products with enhanced nutritional characteristics. Among ancient crops, einkorn could represent a valid alternative. In this work, einkorn flours were analyzed for their content in carotenoids and in free and bound phenolic acids, and compared to wheat flours. The most promising flours were used to produce conventional and sourdough fermented breads. Breads were in vitro digested, and characterized before and after digestion. The four breads having the best characteristics were selected, and the product of their digestion was used to evaluate their anti-inflammatory effect using Caco-2 cells. Our results confirm the higher carotenoid levels in einkorn than in modern wheats, and the effectiveness of sourdough fermentation in maintaining these levels, despite the longer exposure to atmospheric oxygen. Moreover, in cultured cells einkorn bread evidenced an anti-inflammatory effect, although masked by the effect of digestive fluid. This study represents the first integrated evaluation of the potential health benefit of einkorn-based bakery products compared to wheat-based ones, and contributes to our knowledge of ancient grains

Antioxidative and anti-inflammatory effect of in vitro digested cookies baked using different types of flours and fermentation methods

AbstractThere is an increased amount of evidence showing that consumption of whole grains and whole-grain-based products is associated with a reduction of the risk of developing many diseases, due mainly to the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of their components.In this study, cookies, baked using different types of flours and fermentation methods, were digested in vitro and supplemented to cultured liver cells. Three different flours (ancient KAMUT® khorasan wheat grown in North America, ancient khorasan wheat grown in Italy, and modern durum wheat) and two different types of fermentation (standard and lactic fermentation) were used. This experimental design allowed us to supplement cells with a real food part of the human diet, and to consider possible differences related to the food matrix (types of flour) and processing (methods of fermentation). Cells were supplemented with the bioaccessible fractions derived from cookies in vitro digestion. Although results herein reported highlight the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effect of all the supplementations, cookies made with khorasan flours appeared the most effective, particularly when the ancient grain was grown in North America under the KAMUT® brand. In light of the attempts to produce healthier food, this study underlines the importance of the type of grain to obtain baked products with an increased nutritional and functional value